Modi's Varanasi trip saw no steps for poor welfare: Mayawati

Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Saturday charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not taken any concrete steps for the welfare of the poor during the visit to his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi and said that populist promises alone are not going to be of any help anymore.

"Instead of taking any concrete steps for the welfare of the poor and deprived, he continued to blow his trumpet... But now, making populist promises alone are not going to be of any help and something concrete would have to be done for the crores of deprived people," the BSP national president said in a release here.

Mayawati claimed that social justice is nowhere on the agenda of Modi but said at the same time that it is not wrong for the people to have expectations of the government.

She demanded that the BJP-led central government fulfill its poll promises even as she claimed that the failure to carry out any such assurances in his constituency goes on to prove that Modi and his party only want to gain electoral mileage by making tall claims.

The Modi government is now being accused by the people of misguiding them by undertaking only symbolic works, she said.

"As the government is now completing six months, Modi is again misguiding people by claiming 'will not talk but work' whereas people who are fed up with all this have started demanding 'Modi sarkar kala dhan vapas lao, pratyek deshwasi ko 15 lakh dilao'," she said.

Mayawati said that BSP, too, wants the black money to be brought back and Rs 15 lakh deposited in every citizen's bank account as was promised by Modi.

"If everyone has money, he (Modi) would not have to give discourse on planting five saplings each... if they get Rs 15 lakh each, they will definitely celebrate the birth of a girl child," she said.

Mayawati further alleged that the Centre was playing with the weavers of Varanasi and claimed that the Rs 2,375 crore package which Modi announced for them is not one which would directly benefit them.

The BSP chief on Friday night addressed her party's MLAs and directed them to raise issues related to public welfare in a forceful manner in the coming session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, beginning from November 14.

The Prime Minister on Saturday winded up a two-day whirlwind tour of his constituency, the first after assuming power, during which he, among other things, adopted a village as part of his MP Model Village Scheme and also initiated the cleanliness drive at Assi Ghat, the oldest ghat in Varanasi.